"How are you feeling, Leci? Do you feel any better now?" Taryn peeled open a small bag of potato chips that Leci had set out for the four of them. Leci happened to keep a stash of snacks in her room for moments like these — something quick to nibble whenever she needed comfort.
Meanwhile on the sofa, Norris had already raided her cabinet, pulling out every snack she had hidden there. Some bags were torn open thoughtlessly, half-finished and scattered like debris. Her troublesome cousin was turning her already messy room into absolute chaos.
"You said you saw something at the Museum. Did you see a ghost?" Jayden asked, nibbling on a blueberry yogurt sachet as if they were discussing something perfectly ordinary.
Leci froze for a moment. That topic — this topic — was too sensitive to bring up in front of Jayden. What if he ended up suspecting her family… and learned the truth? That they were Exorcists? If it were only Taryn, Leci would have already confessed by now.
"Jayden already knows that we are Exorcists," Norris blurted out without the slightest hesitation, successfully making Leci whip her head toward him. Even the crow perched on her shoulder flapped its wings at the shock that rippled through her.
What is Norris thinking?! No matter how close he is with Jayden, he should never reveal our family's identity so carelessly. Silently, Leci cast him a fierce, warning glare.
But the person she glared at merely played with the potato chip in his mouth, shrugging as if the matter wasn't grave at all.
This is a family secret, you absolute idiot, Leci fumed internally. She had even used the Ancient Guardian Spell to hide her identity. And now… Jayden already knew?
"I'm sorry— I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Jayden said softly, breaking the silent war between Leci and Norris.
His expression held a gentle sincerity. "The truth is… I know about it because I'm an Exorcist too."
It wasn't only Leci whose breath caught. Taryn's eyes widened. Even the crow blinked in astonishment.
The confession was too sudden, too unexpected — like a stone dropping into still water. Leci never imagined another Exorcist existed at her school besides her and Norris.
"How… how is that possible?" Leci murmured, guilt brushing her chest. She suddenly felt as if she had doubted Jayden unfairly. "I… I didn't expect it at all."
Was that why Jayden always acted normal around her? Why he seemed unaffected by the psychological influence of the Ancient Guardian Spell? Perhaps… because he was the same as her.
Leci wasn't surprised that the spell didn't affect Taryn — after all, they had become close long before Leci cast it. Their bond had already been formed naturally.
Now that she thought about it, Jayden had always been kind to her. He had even helped her answer Kieron's question in class the other day, leaning slightly closer so she could hear him. They even sat near each other.
Did this mean… Leci could have a new friend?
"I was just as shocked as you when I first heard about it," Norris chimed in proudly, slinging an arm around Jayden's shoulder. "Then we started fighting Lost Spirits together. We make a good team."
Jayden simply accepted the arm around him, then smiled at Leci — gentle, reassuring. "If you want to keep it a secret, I'll help you protect it."
"What's with this guy's aura… why is it so bright?" Taryn whispered — not quietly enough. Because Leci sat right beside her, she heard it clearly. And honestly… Leci agreed.
Her impression of Jayden grew again. Without realizing it, her gaze drifted to his calm, steady face — one that was strangely comforting to look at.
The crow, who had been calm on her shoulder, suddenly threw a tantrum — flapping its wings vigorously and pecking her cheek in protest. "Kwak, kwak!"
Seeing that, Taryn tried to gently lift the bird away, only to yelp in pain when it bit her arm. Without discrimination, the crow treated everyone the same… except Leci.
After nipping Taryn, it hopped right back onto Leci's shoulder, even leaning close to her neck as if claiming territory. "Kwak!" it snapped at Taryn with sharp indignation.
"He seems to like you a lot," Taryn muttered, soothing the bite mark. "Maybe he's mad because you keep staring at Jayden."
A discomfort stirred in Leci's chest. Something about this crow… felt too familiar. Through the corner of her eye, she studied it — its obsidian eyes, its midnight feathers. They reminded her of someone she desperately tried not to think about.
With cheeks puffed from snacking, Norris pointed accusingly at the crow. "There's something off about that bird. Should we fry it so it learns its lesson?"
"Norris, you're being ridiculous," Jayden scolded, elbowing him lightly. "It's just an animal."
Leci nodded in agreement. Norris was being excessive. "You're always mean to animals. That's why Moon never comes when you call him," she teased, remembering how the Guardian Cat refused to show up whenever Norris summoned him.
"But Moon always appears within seconds whenever Leci calls him," Taryn chimed in, fanning the flames. When it came to teasing Norris, she often matched Leci beat for beat. No wonder the two of them were so in sync.
Norris's face flushed crimson with embarrassment. He nearly choked, clearly not expecting Taryn to join in as well. "That's because Moon is a male cat! Of course he prefers women," he argued defensively.
"And what does that have to do with anything? Do you think cats can distinguish human genders?" Leci shot back sharply, unwilling to lose the verbal sparring.
Their argument escalated with familiar intensity. As spectators, Taryn and Jayden could only laugh at the sibling-like chaos. Whenever Leci and Norris were together, a heated debate was practically guaranteed.
Time slipped through their fingers as they chatted. Before they knew it, dusk had faded, and the sun had long returned to its cradle beneath the horizon. One by one, Leci's three friends excused themselves and headed home.
Once the room fell silent again, Leci deliberately stood with her back to the open window. Arms crossed, she cast a pointed, interrogative gaze at the crow still perched loyally on her shoulder.
"How long do you intend to keep pretending to be a crow?" she asked, as if she had already grown tired of the game.
The crow flapped its wings once, twice — then launched into the air. It circled Leci's room in a single sweep before landing on the wooden floor.
Under the moonlight spilling through the open window, Leci watched as the creature's silhouette shimmered… shifted… and transformed into the tall, broad-shouldered figure of a man.
Her guess had been right. It was Kieron.
He knelt on the floor with a soft, almost boyish smile. His obsidian eyes — struck by moonlight — glimmered more vividly than they ever had.
For a moment, he simply gazed upward at Leci, who stood frozen, wide-eyed.
"I knew you'd figure it out eventually," he murmured. He rose slowly and approached her. One hand brushed the window frame, while the other reached for a strand of her hair, letting it slip between his fingers.
So far, Leci had managed to maintain a neutral expression — until Kieron brought the strand to his lips and kissed it gently. Only then did her composure falter.
"You've come to know me quite well, Leciara."
The first time she had met Kieron in the infirmary, she felt as though she had been hypnotized. Now, under the moonlight, the sensation returned. His unreadable gaze held her in a trance, pulling her as if into the quiet gravity of outer space — vast, inescapable.
"Leciara… are you still unwilling to be mine?" His whisper brushed her ear, his breath ghosting against her skin.
A shiver ran down her spine. The air around her felt suddenly heavier, her heartbeat turning tight and uneven.
"We've already discussed this," Leci replied firmly. "And my answer hasn't changed."
Kieron's lips curled downward, disappointment clouding his face. Why was winning her heart so impossibly difficult? He never imagined affection would require this much effort.
"What must I do to make you like me?" He lifted her cold cheeks in his palms — hands warm against the chill of the night air.
Instinctively, Leci looked up — straight into the obsidian depths of his eyes. And in that fleeting moment, she felt herself sink. Her heart screamed the truth she refused to say aloud:
She had already grown to like him.
She simply didn't want to admit it.
"There's nothing you need to do," she finally answered after a long silence. "Just… stay as you are."
Her small voice whispered inwardly: I like this version of you, Mr. Kieron. There was no need for him to become someone else to earn her attention.
After saying it, embarrassment washed over her. She turned her face away — again and again — unable to meet his eyes. Her shy reactions only made Kieron more enamored, feeling a dizzying sense of ecstasy toward Leciara Maclean.
"I see. Then I suppose I have no choice but to wait."
Her eyes widened — not because of his words, but because Kieron suddenly leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead.
When she turned to look at him, he offered her a breathtaking smile — before shifting once more into a crow and soaring through the narrow gap of the open window.
Leci stood frozen, her entire body stiffening. Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest.
Inside, she screamed—then collapsed into a crouch, covering her burning face with both hands. This is completely insane!